Don't Show Me Love
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Ronald is a troubled boy who has gone through more foster homes and adoptions than he can remember. When William and Grell adopt him, will they be able to stop his self-destructive behaviour he had learnt through constant abuse before it's too late? WillxGrell, hinted abuse, depression, self-harm. AU, mordern day.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This one takes place in modern day London and is an AU. There will also be yaoi, though probably nothing too graphic.**

To say that Grell Sutcliff was excited was an understatement. He had been up all night, doing God-knows-what in between waking his partner up in order to talk his ears off.

William sighed as the two sat at the breakfast table. Grell was humming and bouncing his leg up and down to a tune that only he could hear.

"Grell, will you please calm down?" William tried in the nicest tone he could muster for such an early morning – he had eventually given up on trying to sleep after being woken up for about the seventh time by Grell.

"But, Will…" Grell pouted and put his half-eaten toast down on his plate.

William sighed again. He pushed his glasses up, mainly out of habit, before he fixed Grell with a cold glare. How anyone could be so cheerful at five-thirty in the morning after an entire night of activity was beyond him.

"I swear if you don't calm down, Sutcliff, you can go by yourself." William threatened.

Grell winced. He knew that William never made idle threats. He picked his toast back up and bowed his head in submission. "…Sorry, Will…"

William's tone softened as he spoke again. "It's fine, Grell. I'm just not a morning person. You know that."

A smile returned to Grell's face at these words. "I know."

William glanced at the clock that hung on the overhead wall. He swore that the pointers had not moved at all since he had gotten into the kitchen with Grell. He stood up and tipped his coffee out in the sink. He kissed Grell's cheek before he headed back upstairs to go and get ready for the day.

William couldn't deny that he was just as excited as Grell – okay, maybe not _as _excited, but still. He was looking forward to going down to the orphanage to find a child to adopt. Grell had been begging for a child ever since he was young, and it had only grown worse since he had gotten together with William five years ago. The raven-haired had decided that Grell was deserving of a child after having managed to keep such a steady relationship.

**-XX-**

When the two arrived at London orphanage a few hours later, Grell could hardly believe that he was not dreaming. He gripped William's hand painfully tight as they walked in through the door, forgetting that his lover hated displaying affection in public more than anything.

"Oh, Will, I can't wait!" Grell spoke in a hushed whisper as he wrapped his arms around the elder. They were currently following one of the workers through the halls, on their way to see the kids. "Thank you so much for agreeing!"

William remained silent but he squeezed Grell's hand to let him know that he had heard him.

When they stepped into the room where the kids were currently held, they were almost overwhelmed by the amount of children that they could pick from. Grell let out a squeal of excitement before he pulled away from William and stepped into the middle of the room, looking around in eagerness.

William, however, stayed calm as he walked to Grell's side, the orphanage worker just behind them. She pointed out two children in one of the far corners of the room.

"I think one of them will make a lovely addition to your family." The woman smiled. "They're very sweet and well-mannered children."

Grell and William smiled at the two children who were currently playing with building blocks.

"We would like to have a look at most of the children here before we make up our mind." William exclaimed.

"Oh, of course." The woman smiled. "Almost all of the children here are very happy and will be good for first-time parents. As all children, they all have their perks and downsides. The good thing is that most of their downsides are not too troublesome and can be worked upon with patience."

"Oh, Will, we're gonna pick a lovely child!" Grell smiled and buried his face in William's chest.

William's eyes scanned the room. So far, all he had seen was children laughing and smiling as they played together, but a lock of blonde hair soon caught his attention. He looked closer, finding one boy hiding away in the corner. He had hair that was blonde on the top and black on the bottom, styled in a wavy manner. William couldn't help but notice that the child was sitting against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest, staring at the ground.

"Who is he?" William pointed to the boy.

The woman looked over before she frowned. "…That's Ronald. I would not recommend him to anyone…"

Grell's eyes had wandered over to the child. He lifted his head from his lover's chest and glanced at the lady. "What's wrong with him?"

"No one really wants him." The lady explained. "People always bring him back saying that he's too hard to handle. He's got… Problems."

"What, like health problems?" William questioned.

The woman shook her head. "No. Well, he has _some _health problems, but otherwise it's all mental. He keeps to himself so we haven't really been able to look at his behaviour, but most people say that he's a whole new kind of anti-social."

"But he looks so adorable!" Grell said. "Will, I want him!"

"Grell, no." William frowned. "We've never had a child before and we don't know anything about him."

Grell whimpered before he turned his attention to the worker. "He's been abused, hasn't he?"

The woman's eyes widened before she spoke. "…Excuse me?"

"Someone's abused him." Grell stated. "I can tell."

"And what gives you that idea? I'm sorry, but his background is confidential unless you're willing to take him on board."

"Please, Will…" Grell turned his puppy-dog expression back onto the elder. "I really, really want him…"

William sighed. He ran a hand through Grell's hair. He knew what the problem was. He placed a kiss on the Sutcliff's forehead before he turned to the worker.

"Okay, listen." William started. "If that kid _has _been abused, we'll take him. If not, we'll take him anyway."

"I-I really don't think…"

"Grell wants him. Grell always gets what he wants in the end."

"That kid has been through more foster homes and adoptions than any other kid in this place. I don't think you're ready…"

Grell shrugged. "_I _was a problem child, too. I went through homes like I did shoes. I was abused. But then a family came along and took me in and they never gave up on me. Why would I give up on another kid?"

"Grell…" William placed his hands on the younger's cheeks. "Grell, we're going to take him, okay? Don't get worked up."

Grell nodded. He buried his face back into William's chest.

"I see." The woman nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Sutcliff."

"Miss!" Grell hissed.

The woman raised an eyebrow. William quickly intervened.

"It's Miss… He insists upon being a woman. Don't question him."

"…Right… Just come forward and talk to Ronald and make sure that he's the one for you, okay?"

William nodded. He pulled Grell over to the corner where the boy was hiding from everyone. They knelt before the child who only tensed at their proximity.

"Ronald, this is Grell Sutcliff and William T. Spears," the woman introduced in a gentle manner. William was quick to notice that she was speaking slowly and kept her hands in the boy's sight at all times. "They're interested in adopting you."

"…" Ronald's wide eyes watched the two males in suspicion. Grell watched as his right hand moved and started scratching at his left arm.

"Hi, Ronald." William said. "I'm William. This is my partner, Grell. We would be really happy if you would like to come home with us."

"…" Ronald's scratching only increased.

Grell reached out, intending to grab the boy's hand. "Don't do that."

Ronald cried out and flinched when the red-head's hand came closer. He scooted backwards, slamming himself against the wall.

Grell frowned. He pulled his hand back and looked to William.

"He's afraid of physical contact." The worker explained. "Please do try and refrain from touching him."

Grell nodded. "Ronald, I can't help but notice what you're doing to your arm. May I ask what's wrong?"

Ronald shook his head and stared down at his lap. His scratching started back up again, but this time with more ferocity. Grell tried to act oblivious to the blood that was now dripping from re-opened scars on the boy's arm, but it broke his heart.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't do that." Grell whispered. "Scratching yourself is a sign of anxiety. You hardly need to be afraid of us."

Ronald shook his head again, refusing to speak.

"Does he speak?" William asked.

"He does – rarely. This is what I was talking about earlier – he needs lots of love and patience."

"I can give him that!" Grell cried. "Honest, I can!"

William nodded. "I do agree with him. And it's not like we'll be doing it on our own – we have friends who can help once he settles in."

The woman looked extremely hesitant but she nodded anyway. "If you'll follow me, I have forms in my office that will need to be filled out."

Grell grinned excitedly. He wrapped his arms around William's neck and placed a kiss on the elder's cheek.

"I love you, Will."

Before William could scold him about his statement in public, Grell was gone. He shook his head as he got up and followed behind the woman.

"I'm sorry about Grell." William muttered. "He's a hyperactive idiot at times, but he's just really happy."

"It's not a problem." The woman smiled. "I'm just glad to see someone serious about this."


	2. Chapter 2

When William had finally convinced Ronald to get into the car with them after minutes of hesitation, he couldn't help but notice that in the boy's arm was a small, worn-out teddy bear. It seemed to be the only thing that he had, seeing as he didn't even come with clothes.

Grell was sitting in the passenger's seat, filing his nails as he hummed softly. He couldn't have been happier than he was right now.

Ronald, however, was sitting in the backseat with wide eyes, scratching at his arm again. He looked about ready to jump out of the moving car if that was what it took to get away from the two males. His chest seemed to heave with each breath he took, only causing worry for William.

"Grell…" William said in a soft tone. He nodded in Ronald's direction when the red-head turned to look at him. "Can you check on him, please?"

Grell turned to look at Ronald. A bright smile was instantly painted on his face. "What's up, little Ronnie?"

"Ronnie?" William repeated.

"Yeah." Grell flashed a grin towards his lover. "Ronnie. Cause Ronnie just makes him so much cuter."

William rolled his eyes. "Alright."

"Anyway, Ronnie, what's bothering you?" Grell's smile turned into a frown. "Still afraid of us, huh?"

Ronald didn't move – didn't even make a sound to show that he had heard Grell.

"We're not bad people or anything if that's what you're worried about." Grell's smile returned. "I can understand why you're scared, though."

Ronald's eyes widened even more at these words. He let out a small squeak and tightened his hold on his teddy-bear.

Grell noticed this. "Your teddy must be important to you."

Ronald warily nodded.

"He looks like a cat. A black cat with white splotches, right?"

The boy nodded again.

"Does he have a name?"

"…"

"Spot?" Grell guessed. "Patches?"

"…"

"What's his name, little Ronnie?"

"…" Ronald's body trembled before he answered in a whisper that was barely audible. "…Kitty…"

Grell squealed happily. "Will! Will, he spoke! He spoke to me!"

William sighed. "Calm down, Grell. You're scaring the poor kid."

Grell instantly quietened. He looked back at Ronald who was now cowering as if he was going to be hit.

"Ronnie, I'm sorry, I just got a bit too excited." Grell apologised. "I'm really sorry if I scared you. Please, calm down. I promise that I won't hurt you."

Ronald didn't seem to calm down. Instead, he laid down on the backseat and curled into a ball. It broke Grell's heart to see him like that.

"Ronnie…" Grell reached out to touch the boy but William grabbed his hand.

"Just leave him be, Grell." William whispered. "He might benefit better from being left alone when he's like this."

Grell frowned but nodded anyway. He placed his fingers between William's and stared out of the car window. Before he knew it, his eyes had closed and he was fast asleep.

**-XX-**

When Grell awoke, it was to William mumbling from above him. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind, before he realised that he was being carried into the house.

"Will…?" Grell mumbled. "…Where's Ronnie…?"

"He's fine, Grell. He's waiting in the car. I told him that I'd take you into the house and then I'd bring him in."

"Is he okay?" Grell whispered. "I really messed up…"

William leant down and placed a kiss on Grell's forehead. "You didn't mess up, Grell. You were just excited. It's going to be okay."

Grell nodded. He struggled a little in his lover's hold. "Will, I'm fine to walk… Really… I'd feel better if you tended to Ronnie first."

"You know I'll never put anyone before you," William whispered. He let Grell down onto the ground. "If that's how you feel, though… Go and get into bed, love. You need to sleep."

Grell yawned. "No, I don't – I'm fine. I'll go and sit down on the couch but I'm not sleeping."

William allowed a brief smirk to cross his face. "Always the stubborn one, aren't you? Fine, but I'm not cleaning you up when you collapse onto the ground from exhaustion. Don't say that I didn't warn you."

Grell giggled. "Alright. Go and look after my Ronnie while I go and 'rest'."

William kissed Grell's cheek before he turned and left the house. Grell yawned and sauntered slowly through the hallway. He took the first right and buckled onto the white couch face-down. He sighed and nuzzled into the pillow, inhaling the sweet scent of William.

"My little Ronnie is going to feel right at home once he gets used to us," Grell whispered to himself. He giggled again at the thought of having a son. "He's going to love us one day."

It was silent for a few minutes until the front door opened again and two sets of footsteps entered the living room. Grell glanced up and grinned at William before he turned and saw Ronald trailing in behind the Spears.

"Would you mind sitting up to make room for Ronald?" William sighed at the sight of Grell sprawled out across the couch. "I'm sure he'd like to sit down."

Almost instantly, Grell sat up and made room on the couch. He wore a huge grin on his face and he giggled. He patted the couch, humming.

"Come sit with me, Ronnie, dear." Grell giggled again. "There's plenty of room of the couch for both of us."

Ronald glanced at William with a tense body. William was sure that he was expecting a beating. The brunet smiled.

"Go on, Ronald." William encouraged. "You don't need permission to do anything in this house, okay? You can do whatever you want to do."

Ronald tightened his hold on his teddy. His body started to shake again and a few tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Darling, don't cry…" Grell frowned. "It makes _me _want to cry when you do."

"Let's leave him alone for a while, Grell." William turned and walked out of the living room, knowing that Grell would follow.

Grell shot a concerned glance at Ronald before he stood up. "Sweetie, I'm going to leave you alone for a while so that you can relax at your own pace, okay? If you need anything, I'll be upstairs with Will."

Ronald didn't do anything but cry harder. Grell had to fight his natural instinct to hug the child until he stopped crying and instead followed behind his lover.

"Will, dear, I feel so sorry for him…" Grell whispered as he walked behind the taller male up the stairs. "His arms… They're self-inflicted…"

"I know, love." William opened the bedroom door. He walked over to the bed and sat down on it. "I can see why you wanted him so badly, though. Truth be told, I want him as well."

"Did you bring his file in with you?" Grell asked as he cuddled up on William's lap.

"I did. It's downstairs on the coffee table. We'll look at it tonight when he's sleeping, okay?"

Grell nodded. He planted a few kisses along William's neck before he spoke again. "Do you think he'll be okay during the night? What if he doesn't want to sleep?"

"If that's the case, we'll take turns in staying up with him, okay?"

"We can't do that. You have to get up early for work."

"And you've had no sleep, Grell. You need it."

Grell pouted. He crossed his arms stubbornly and looked away. William couldn't help but smile. He wrapped his arms around Grell's waist and held him close.

"Look, whatever happens we'll deal with it as it comes, okay? There's no way I'm going to send him back there – not with what I've seen."

Grell nodded. He grabbed his hair and wrapped it around his finger. "…He's a lot like I was, Will… So scared of the world…"

"Shh…" William held his lover tight. "Let's not think about that, okay? We're thinking of Ronald."

"Mmm…" Grell closed his eyes, losing himself in William's comforting embrace. "…My sweet little Ronnie…"

William remained quiet. He knew that Grell was beginning to fall asleep.

**-XX-**

Downstairs, Ronald cried harder as he looked around the living room. There was a large white couch against the wall that separated the living room and the hallway. A flat screen TV stood across from the couch and a giant bookcase was pushed against the far wall that seemed to lead to a kitchen. A large window took up most of the wall, overlooking a lush garden and houses across the street.

This family was rich, and that terrified Ronald. He knew that the ones who had money were cruel and snobbish, treating Ronald as if he was nothing more than dirt that was dragged in from the bottom of their shoes. This family would be no different. It was clear that they were _trying _to seem nice, but he knew that in the end, he would only be hurt if he trusted them.

Ronald wanted to sit down – he really did – but he had been beaten for sitting upon couches so often, he had learnt to just stand where he was. He held his teddy to his chest, sobbing into his fake fur. He wanted to go back to the orphanage where he could hide away from the world – not be here where two men's attention was going to be focused on him.

Ronald had been with same-sex parents before, and he knew for a fact that they were the worst. They had done horrible things to his body that he didn't like and never wanted to experience again. He was sure that these two would be the same and no amount of kindness would make it right.

Ronald wasn't sure how long he had stood there for, but when he heard footsteps behind him, he sobbed harder. He spun around the spot and fearfully stared at the red-head that he was sure was named Grell.

"Honey…" Grell took a few more slow steps towards Ronald before he knelt down on the ground before the boy. "…Dearest Ronnie, I want you to know that if ever you need something, Will and I can take care of you, okay? That's why we adopted you – because we wanted a child to raise together and neither of us wants to see you suffering, okay? How old are you, Ronnie?"

Ronald held up his two hands. He used his fingers to indicate that he was ten.

"So you're ten?"

Ronald nodded.

"I see. Oh, sweetie, I assume you like cats?"

Ronald nodded again.

Grell grinned. "That's good. We have a cat named Snowball. She's around the house somewhere. You're welcome to play with her if you can find her. She's a little anti-social but she won't hurt you. She'll just hide. We adopted her, as well. She had a mean owner who hurt her. She was so scared, but she sleeps with Will and I at night now. I'm sure you'll love her."

A small smile graced Ronald's lips. He always had loved animals. They were the only ones who had ever been nice to him. Unlike people, who only ever used and abused him.

"Ronnie, Will and I are going to go out and buy you some new clothes, okay? Will wants to know if there's anything at all you want to do while we're in town."

Ronald shook his head. He took a few steps backwards and watched Grell warily. The Sutcliff tried to think of what he could have done to upset the boy.

"I'll be in the kitchen making lunch, okay?" Grell whispered. "It's already been two hours since you've arrived so you must be starving."

Ronald frowned. He looked down at the ground and started to ignore the elder. He was vaguely aware of Grell's defeated sigh before he was alone once again.

That red-head sure was trying hard to set him up for heartbreak.


	3. Chapter 3

Ronald was the quietest boy William and Grell had ever met. Even at dinnertime the boy didn't say a word. Hell, he wouldn't even touch his food. All he did was sit there and cuddle his teddy.

About ten minutes into this behaviour, William had decided that enough was enough. He put his cutlery down on his plate and sighed.

"Ronald…" William tried to muster up the nicest tone he could manage as he addressed the boy. "…Ronald, I understand how difficult this is for you, but you must eat _something. _If you don't like the food, I can get you something else, but you haven't even touched your spoon. Please eat something. You're so skinny and you need to eat, okay?"

Ronald shook his head. He looked down at his lap and tensed his shoulders again.

"Ronald…" William growled softly under his breath. "If you don't eat something I'm going to take away your cat."

Ronald let out a whimper before he jumped out of his chair. He shook his head and took slow steps backwards as if he were facing a wild animal.

"Ronald, get back in your seat, please." William sighed. When Ronald didn't do as told, he stood up and approached the boy. "Ronald, I've been patient with you, but you have to sit back down and eat, okay?"

Ronald shook his head again. His body shook and tears slipped down the boy's pale cheeks. Grell was watching all of this silently.

"Ronald, give me your cat." William held his hand out expectantly. When Ronald didn't do anything other than stand there, he reached out and started tugging on the cat. "Ronald, I want the – argh!"

Grell jumped to his feet with a shout and pushed Ronald away from William. The boy had pulled a butterknife out from his sleeve and cut William's hand. The child went tumbling down onto the ground, crying loudly.

"Will, what happened?" Grell whimpered as he grabbed his lover's hand. His eyes filled with tears as blood dripped down onto the tiled floor beneath them. "What happened?"

"He cut me…" William hissed, trying to remain calm for both Ronald and Grell's sakes. "He had a butterknife up his sleeve and cut me…"

Grell snarled and turned to face the cowering boy. His eyes narrowed as he stomped forward, intending on giving the brat a piece of his mind. He didn't care who had done it, but if someone dared harm his beloved William, there would be hell to pay.

"Leave it, Grell." William called as he wrapped his shirt around his hand. Grell ignored him. "Grell, stop. Sutcliff!"

Grell stopped and turned back to the elder. He bit his lip. He hated when William called him Sutcliff. "…Y-yeah…?"

"Leave him." William stated. "Go and get me a bandage from the bathroom and I'll deal with this."

Grell hesitated before doing as told. William turned a stern gaze onto the mess in the corner that was a hysterical Ronald. He could see that the boy had the butterknife to his arm and was slashing at it. Without caring for his own safety, he approached the boy and ripped the knife from his hands.

"Don't you _ever _cut yourself." William narrowed his eyes at the boy. "_Ever. _I don't know what you've been through, Ronald, but I'm not going to put up with _anyone _hurting me. I know that you're scared but that's no excuse! I want you to go upstairs and into the bedroom I showed you. You're going to stay in there for the rest of the night as punishment. No dinner, either."

Without a word, Ronald got to his feet and fled from the room. William could hear the boy's footsteps stomping up the stairs. He felt bad about the way he had handled the situation – he really did! – but he just couldn't bear to see someone hurting themselves like that.

William could hear Grell running back into the kitchen. He sat down on the chair and allowed the red-head to fuss over his hand.

"Dear, we need to get to a hospital!" Grell exclaimed as he tenderly wrapped the bandage around the injured hand.

"Grell, it's not that deep," William reassured him. "I'll be fine, okay? I'll go to a doctor tomorrow after work and get them to look at it, but it's not urgent, okay?"

Grell whimpered and gave his lover the puppy-dog eyes. "Please go to a hospital tonight, Will…!"

"Grell, it's okay." William pulled the younger into a hug. "Really, it's fine. You worry too much."

"I just love you is all…" Grell mumbled. He nestled into the embrace, soaking up all the warmth and comfort that the raven-haired male radiated. "Is that so bad…?"

"No." William kissed Grell's forehead. "I love you, too."

"What happened to Ronnie?"

"I've sent him upstairs into his room without dinner. I want you to leave him alone until the morning, okay? And be careful around him."

Grell nodded. "Hey, Will…?"

"Hmm?"

"…Can we look at his file, please…?"

William nodded. He kissed Grell's neck before he gently pushed the younger to his feet. "Go into our room. I'll make us a tea and then I'll come up with it, okay?"

"Love you." Grell smiled before he left the kitchen.

William pulled two cups down from the shelf and prepared tea for them both. He then grabbed Ronald's file that was sitting on the coffee table and took it upstairs with him.

Grell was in the bedroom changing into his red silk pyjamas despite it hardly being later than seven-thirty.

"Tired, love?" William asked as he handed the red-head his cup of tea. Grell nodded and yawned, snuggling into his lover when they were both seated on the bed. "I swear, are you ever going to wear anything other than red to bed for one night?"

Grell smirked and shook his head. "Of course not, Will. Let's read the file now."

William nodded. He took a sip of his tea before he put the cup down on the bedside table and opened the file. He looked at the first piece of paper which seemed to have a list of Ronald's personal information.

_Name: Ronald A. Knox_

_Birthdate: September 1st_

"There's really not that much on this form," William pointed out. "Just some personal information. It says that he's short-sighted, suffers from asthma and has shown signs of anxiety."

"That kid has more than just anxiety." Grell pointed out. He rested his head on William's shoulder as the elder turned to the next page. "Oh, this is about his previous carers."

As their eyes scanned the paper, they both felt their hearts breaking. There was information on here about abuse that the boy had suffered whilst in the care of others.

"Physical abuse…" Grell whispered as he summed everything up. "…Sexual abuse… Mental and emotional abuse…"

"Says here that the welfare workers had gone to check up on the family and found him tied to the bed, naked and wounded while his adoptive parents had packed up and left…" William put the papers down on the bed and closed the file. "Grell, you're not reading any more of it. I mean it. It'll only upset you."

"Will…" Grell's eyes were filled with tears. "…Will…"

"Grell, I think that this is too much for us to handle." William wrapped his arms around Grell's waist and pulled him into an embrace. "I was prepared for an abused boy, but not to this degree. I don't think we're ready just yet."

"But…" A single tear slipped down Grell's cheek. "…But Ronnie…"

"We've got to take him back, Grell… I'm really sorry but we're not ready for a boy like this."

Grell shook his head stubbornly. "You never gave up on me, Will… Even when everyone else had, you never did…"

"Grell, this is different." William ran a soothing hand through the red-hair. "This child has –"

"-How is this different, Will? You look me in the eye and you _tell _me that this boy is _not _the same as _I _was."

William made eye-contact with the younger. He tried to open his mouth and tell Grell that, but he just couldn't. He knew, deep down, that Grell was right. That boy is the spitting image of Grell when he was younger. He sighed and rested his chin on Grell's hair.

"…Fine…" William whispered. "…But if he needs more than we can give him, he has to go to someone who _can _care for him properly. Okay?"

A large smile crossed Grell's face and he snuggled in close to William. "Okay. Thank you."

William just tightened his hold on the younger. He had absolutely no idea what they were doing anymore.

**-XX-**

Ronald sat in his room, crying again. He held Kitty tightly, too scared to go near the bed. He never wanted to be in a bed again. It wasn't that he didn't like them – he was afraid of them. He associated beds with pain that he never wanted to experience again.

Ronald looked around the room. The walls were red with matching red drapes that hung across the window. He had a view of the street and his window was angled so that the moonlight shined straight through and illuminated his room. He shivered slightly. The wardrobe that was tucked away in the corner of his room frightened him with the prospect of monsters in the closet.

"Kitty, I'm scared…" Ronald whimpered. He hid in the bottom left corner of his room behind the door, shaking. "Kitty, I'm so scared…!"

The boy could hear his new adopters in the bedroom next to his talking. He knew that they were talking about him because he could hear his name, despite not being able to hear them properly. It frightened him to no end to know that they could be talking about the best way to harm him.

"Kitty…" Ronald whimpered. His shaking increased ten-fold as his imagination started playing with him. He swore he could see dark shapes moving in his room and hear frightening noises such as moans and groans. He had never liked the dark – and being in a dark, new room by himself only made his terrors worsen.

Ronald closed his eyes, not caring that rivers were streaming down his cheeks. He tried to block everything out until a loud bang from across the room startled him and his wardrobe door swung open.

Ronald screamed. He was unaware of the front of his pants becoming wet – all he could think about was the monster that was going to hurt him.

"Ronald!"

Ronald curled up into a ball when he heard someone shout his name. He whimpered and screamed louder when the bedroom door was pushed open and hit him.

"Ronald, what's wrong?"

Ronald refused to look at William and Grell. He was so scared his breathing came in ragged, uneven gasps. He started scratching at his neck as his chest felt like it was constricting. He tried to scream as he felt someone grab his shoulders, but he was too weak to do much more than struggle.

"Grell, his inhaler is on the bedside table." Ronald heard William say. "Go get it."

Before he knew it, Ronald's inhaler was at his mouth. He grabbed at it, huffing desperately.

"Ronnie, are you okay?" Grell whispered. "What happened?"

When Ronald's breathing had evened, he pointed fearfully to the wardrobe. William and Grell glanced around and noticed the door hanging open.

William sighed. He fixed his glasses before he sent a glare at Grell. "I thought you said you fixed that door. I told you to fix it before we got a child because it would scare them."

Grell raised his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "H-hey! I did fix it! I put blue tack on the hinge to keep it together!"

"Oh, God…" William muttered under his breath. "Why do I trust you do to anything around the house…? Ronnie, I know that would have scared you, but it was just the hinge falling off, okay? The door opened because the hinge fell off again. It's nothing to fear. Look, I'll go and fix it right now, okay?"

Ronald watched with half-lidded eyes as William stood up and left the room. Grell sat down next to him, fiddling with his hands.

"I-I'm sorry…" Grell mumbled, looking at his lap. "…That was my fault that you were scared… I'm sorry – I should have fixed that wardrobe properly when Will told me to…"

Ronald's shaking didn't stop, but it _did _get the boy thinking. Grell was genuinely sad about having frightened him. He knew this because he could tell that the tears Grell was fighting to hold back were true tears.

"Ronnie, I'm so sorry…" Grell whispered. "…I feel so terrible about this…"

Before another word could be said, William had returned with a hammer and some nails. He stopped briefly in the doorway to flick the light switch on before he continued to the wardrobe.

"See this, Grell?" William turned back to the two and waved the hammer and nails in the air. "_This _is how you fix it. Don't ever let me catch you using blue tack for something like this again. And while you're at it, go get that boy out of his soiled clothes and into something more comfortable."

Grell nodded. He pretended to have not heard the small whimper that escaped Ronald's mouth and instead moved to the bags that were sitting on the bed. He grabbed the first one and rummaged through it until he had in his hold a plain blue shirt and some striped pyjama pants.

"Ronnie, go into the bathroom and put these on, okay?" Grell smiled as he placed the clothes down onto the bed and backed away. "Leave the ones you have on now in the bathroom and I'll deal with them."

Ronald nodded. He warily approached the bed. When he had his hands on the pyjamas, he yanked them into his hold and quickly left the bedroom. Grell was sure that the boy thought he was going to be hurt.

Minutes had passed before Ronald warily returned back to the room. When he did, William had just fixed the door on the wardrobe. The Spears stood up and turned to glance at Ronald. He gave a small smile.

"All fixed. Now it won't open, okay? You can go to sleep peacefully."

Ronald shook his head. He glanced down at the floor.

"What's wrong, darling?" Grell asked.

Ronald just stayed quiet.

William sighed. "It appears that he doesn't like beds, either. Go and grab a lamp from downstairs and make him a bed up on the floor if that will suit him."

Grell nodded and did as he was told. William turned back to the boy.

"Ronald, I'm going to bed now. I have to be up early for work. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Be good for Grell."

Ronald just looked down at the ground. Was he wrong in his judgement against these people? …No. All humans were the same. They wouldn't be any different – just trying harder than anyone else to gain his trust.


	4. Chapter 4

When Ronald woke up the next morning, it was to his new guardians' voices. They were talking in their bedroom that was right next to his, and he was sure that he could hear Grell whining about something.

Ronald just sat up in the mess of blankets he had slept on and cuddled Kitty tight. He was shocked that no one had come into his room last night – he was so used to his 'carers' coming in for one reason or another – always resulting in pain for the boy.

Ronald let out a soft whimper before he lay back down and buried his face in his pillow. Maybe if he pretended that he was still asleep, they would leave him alone.

Minutes had passed by in silence until a soft knock at his door startled Ronald. He stayed quiet, hoping that whoever was out there would go away.

"Ronnie?" Grell's voice drifted through the thin wood. "Ronnie, dear, are you awake?"

"Leave the boy alone." Ronald knew that was William. "He's probably exhausted."

Grell let out a high-pitched noise that sounded something like a strangled cry. "B-but…! It's boring being by myself!"

"Look, it's his first morning here, Grell. We'll let him sleep him for a while, okay? No set bedtimes or mornings just yet so he can settle in at his own pace."

"Will…!" As if he had completely disregarded everything that his lover had just said, Grell pushed the bedroom door open and bounded to Ronald's side. "Hey, Ronnie! Good morning~"

Ronald just pulled his blankets over his head.

William sighed. "Grell, get out and leave him alone. He'll come out when he's ready."

Grell shook his head stubbornly and pulled at the blankets. Ronald wasn't sure, but the red-head seemed to be much more hyper this morning than he was yesterday.

"Come out and have breakfast, Ronnie!" Grell grinned. "I know you're awake!"

"He's awake because _you _woke him…" William muttered as he rolled his eyes.

Ronald tugged the blankets back, desperate to keep himself covered. After just a few minutes of this process, William had eventually dragged the red-head out of the room with the promise of caffeine.

Ronald slowly pulled the blankets down so that he could peek around the room. He couldn't understand why this particular male was so happy and playful – and didn't seem to radiate _any _danger. Was he really telling the truth when he said that they weren't to fear…?

Ronald slowly climbed out from under his makeshift shield and stood up. He walked timidly towards the door and looked out. He couldn't see anyone around, so he snuck down to the stairs, debating about whether or not he should go down.

When the child eventually decided to go to the kitchen and see if begging would get him a crumb or two, he climbed down the stairs silently, almost too afraid to make a noise in fear of a beating.

"I swear, Grell…" Ronald tilted his head as he heard William's voice from the kitchen. "What are you going to do without me, hmm?"

"Cry." Grell replied almost instantly. "Sleep. Eat. Cry some more. Repeat process."

"Oh, Lord…"

Ronald couldn't help but let out a small giggle. He poked his head through the archway that led from the living room into the kitchen and found his two caretakers sitting at the table. He found that they were each holding cups of tea and sitting on opposite sides.

Grell turned and looked at the boy. He grinned. "Ronnie, darling! Come sit with us!"

Ronald flinched and bit his lip. He looked at the ground, standing where he was. He took a step back when Grell stood up, which caused the red-head to sit back down.

"Ronnie, sit down at the table and I'll make you a hot chocolate, okay, dear?" Grell smiled.

Ronald frowned. He hesitated before he walked into the kitchen and kept his head down. He warily pulled the chair out and sat on the opposite side of the circular table in between the two adults.

Grell stood up and started moving about the kitchen as he made a lot of noise. Ronald wasn't sure what he was doing – he was too focused on looking as small as he possibly could in a feeble attempt to hide.

When a mug of hot chocolate was placed before him a few minutes later, Ronald jumped in surprise. He had been lost in his own little world, taking no notice of anything around him. He glanced suspiciously at the mug before he looked up at Grell, careful to stop his eyes from meeting the Sutcliff's.

"Drink up." Grell smiled and sat back down at the table. "It's hot chocolate. Have you ever had it before?"

Ronald's lip quivered before he glanced down at his right arm. Tears welled up in his eyes as he slowly rolled back his sleeve so that he could show the men the burn that covered nearly his entire arm.

Grell's heart dropped at the sight while William just looked away, unable to trust himself to say anything lest he scare the boy.

"Someone burnt you…" Grell muttered slowly. He bit his lip when Ronald nodded. "…They burnt you with hot water…"

Ronald nodded again. A tear slipped down his cheek before he whispered, "…Y-yes…"

"Poor baby…" Grell whispered back.

William just clenched his hands before he stood up and walked to Grell's side. He leant down and placed a kiss on the younger's cheek. "I'll be back tonight."

"Oh, but Will, you don't usually leave for another fifteen minutes!" Grell complained. He grabbed William's hand and tried to pull him down. "Stay with me!"

"No, Grell." William said quietly. The red-head could only just notice the cold tone in his elder's voice. "I am leaving."

Without another word, William had left the kitchen. Only a few minutes later the front door was closed. Ronald and Grell looked at each other. Ronald looked scared but the elder just looked depressed.

"I hate when he leaves…" Grell mumbled. "I hate being alone…"

Ronald tilted his head. Why was the Sutcliff saying such things?

"…I know that he's only going to work and will be home as soon as he finishes…" Grell continued. "…But I still can't help but fear that he will find someone better and leave…"

Ronald couldn't help but feel sorry for Grell. He knew what it was like to live in fear and loneliness. He stood up out of his chair and sauntered warily towards the male. He stopped within arm's reach of Grell and stared.

Grell couldn't help but smile sadly. "I shouldn't tell you my problems. You've got enough of your own and mine are pathetic compared to yours."

Ronald gave a weak smile back. He played with his thumbs nervously and looked away. He listened silently as Grell rambled on about little things, careful to always look anywhere but at the red-head. He could see that this male really _was _trying hard – which only contradicted everything else that his previous 'caretakers' had done. Usually he was their punching bag or whatever they wanted him for, but Grell… was different from everyone else.

**A/N I know that in reality an abused child like Ronald wouldn't trust so readily, ect, so that's not going to be happening so soon in this fic, even if it seems like it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N There will be plot advancement at the end of this chapter. Just bear with me :) This chapter and the next one have also been finished for the last couple of days, I just haven't gotten around to posting them because I've been in and out of hospital with a really severe flu/chest infection. I'll post chapter six somewhere within the next day or so.**

When William returned home that night, he was rather surprised to see Grell seated on the end of the couch with Ronald's head in his lap. Grell beamed a giant smile at his lover and gestured to Ronald.

"Will, h-he let me play with his hair!" Grell said in a hushed whisper. "He went straight to sleep!"

William returned the smile. He took his coat off and hung it on the rack by the door before he approached the two males. He bent down and kissed Grell's lips.

"He's so cute, isn't he, Will?" Grell smiled after their kiss was broken.

William nodded. "He is. Why is he so close to you?"

Grell shrugged. "Does it matter? He's obviously doing better today."

"True. Have you had dinner yet?"

"Yes, love, we ate a while ago. I put your dinner in the microwave."

"Thank you." William pecked Grell on the cheek. "You should put him into his room."

"No, he's fine." Grell grinned and ran his hand through Ronald's hair. "Now that he's here, I don't want to move him. He's not a bother. Bring down a blanket before you get your dinner 'cause I would hate to wake him when I put him to bed – he looks so peaceful."

William nodded. He arrived back to Grell's side with a blanket just minutes later before he left to eat his dinner silently at the dining room table.

Grell fussed with the blanket as he tucked Ronald in as best as he could without moving too much. He didn't want to disturb the child's rest now that he had finally relaxed. He stared down at the boy with a soft smile on his face as he ran his hand through the blond-black hair again.

Grell had been fourteen-and-eleven-months when he was adopted by the first carers that genuinely loved him. Before them, he had people who had abused him in every way that you could think of. But now, as said male sat here looking at the kid in his lap, he couldn't help but be relieved about having saved Ronald from the abuse when he did. Clearly this child was still salvageable.

"Whatever it takes, Ronnie…" Grell whispered as he rubbed his thumb across Ronald's pale cheek. "…Whatever it takes, I'll help you recover from what those monsters have put you through… I promise that I'll never give up on you, no matter what."

With that said, Grell leant down and placed a kiss on Ronald's temple.

It was quiet for about ten minutes more until William came back out into the living room. He stood in the doorway and glanced at the two on the couch with a raised eyebrow.

Grell smiled and pointed to the chair that was on the other side of the room. "You'll sit there for tonight, darling. I'm not moving in case I wake Ronnie up."

William rolled his eyes but did as told. He picked up the television remote that was on the coffee table and flicked the TV on. He changed the channels until he found the late-night news.

"Tomorrow I'm going to need you to come into the office, Grell," William said after a few moments of silence.

Grell sent a concerned look towards his lover. "…Will… We talked about this… You said I could take a week off to be with Ronnie…"

"I know I did, Grell, but we're severely understaffed right now and –"

"We can't leave Ronnie home alone!" Grell hissed dangerously as he narrowed his eyes. "He'll be scared if he is left alone!"

"Let me finish. I was about to say that Ronald can come with us to the offices tomorrow but he'll be staying in my office with me, okay?"

Grell nodded and returned to stroking the gold-black hair. "That seems fair enough. Why can't he stay with me, though?"

"Because you never do your work at the best of times, Grell, and you won't do anything at all if he's with you all day. I'd sooner hand him over to Alan and Eric during work hours than leave him with you."

Grell sighed. "You're so cruel, Will."

"I'm being honest with you," William explained. "I try my best to act nothing more than professional to you at work and treat you just the same as the others, but this has to stop, Grell. I need you to work – especially when we're so understaffed as it is."

Grell's eyes welled with tears but the red-head refused to let them fall. "Why are you telling me this…? W-what did I do wrong…?"

William let a frown cross his face. He knew that underneath Grell's happy demeanour was a very sensitive and unstable soul. He did what he could to avoid upsetting his partner, but as the younger's supervisor, he had to make sure that he was performing well at work – regardless of their relationship.

"I'm telling you this because I love you," William said softly. "You did nothing wrong, Grell – you just need to do your work, okay?"

"I-I do my work…" Grell muttered.

"Yes, but I usually receive it late and incomplete." William sighed. "I want you to work harder, okay? Can you do that for me? For _me?"_

"…" Grell wiped at his eyes, pretending that he was just scratching his cheek. He nodded. "I-I love you, Will…"

"I know you do. Let's go upstairs into our bedroom, okay? I'm sure Ronald will be fine out here by himself."

Grell allowed a smirk to cross his face. He knew what William was subtly hinting at. He nodded, his insecurities already forgotten. "You know I'll n-never say no."

William sighed and stood up, following the smaller male upstairs and into the bedroom. They were careful to lock the door behind them – a big change from not needing to close the door at all.

**-XX-**

When Ronald awoke the next morning, he was rather confused to find himself still out on the couch with a blanket covering him. Sure, he had slept on the couch many times at different houses, but never with blankets – hell, sometimes he didn't even have _clothes!_

With a sigh, the boy closed his eyes again and snuggled in closer to the couch. He didn't feel as bothered about this as he usually would have – maybe because Grell didn't seem like that kind of person.

Just minutes later, a bell chiming caught the boy's attention. He opened his eyes and sat up as it grew louder and was now accompanied by rushed footsteps. He flinched slightly when a white cat ran into the living room with Grell right behind it.

Grell was giggling, a large smile plastered over his face as he chased the cat. He paid no heed to Ronald, instead laughing loudly when the cat stopped and leaped at him. He leant down and picked the cat up, hugging it tightly. The small creature purred and rubbed against his makeup-clad face.

Ronald smiled at the scene. He tilted his head when the Sutcliff turned to look at him, a small giggle escaping his lips.

"Ronnie, darling, this is Snowball." Grell grinned as he approached the boy. "Will kicked us out of the bedroom while he got dressed."

Ronald reached out, tugging at the cat's front legs. Grell handed the cat over, watching as he stroked and hugged the cat. The red-head knew that he loved animals, so he was hoping that Snowball could help him settle in easier.

"Ronnie, will you go and get dressed into something nice, please?" Grell sent a small smile to the younger. "You're going to come to work with us today."

Ronald tilted his head. He clutched Snowball tighter, worry slowly creeping up on him. "…"

"Will and I work at a very large company," Grell explained. "Will is supervisor of our division but I'm bound to boring deskwork."

Ronald's mouth moved silently as if he wanted to say something but wasn't too sure. Instead, he looked down at the cat in his arms, closing his mouth.

"Ronnie, darling, you know that you can talk to me…" Grell whispered. "I know that you must be scared of talking to people, but I'll never hurt you, okay?"

Ronald nodded. He buried his face into Snowball's silky fur and allowed a few tears to slip down his cheeks.

"How about you go and get dressed and I'll make you some breakfast?" Grell offered a small smile to the boy.

Ronald nodded. He shifted Snowball into one arm and picked Kitty up by the leg. Grell watched him disappear around the corner before he headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone.

**-XX-**

When Ronald first laid eyes on William and Grell's work building, he was in awe. He had never seen such a huge building before. To him, there must have been a billion floors and the building itself disappeared into the heavens!

Ronald made a small noise in the back of his throat which had William and Grell smiling. He followed said males out of the car and into the building. He was sure to stick close to Grell, doing his best to avoid the many other people that were wandering around the ground floor.

"Give me your hand, hon."

Ronald looked up at Grell with wide eyes. He knew that it was better for him to hold the red-head's hand so that he didn't get lost, but it was still a frightening idea. But, as he reminded himself, he felt safer with Grell than he had with anyone else.

Raising a shaky hand, Ronald slipped it into Grell's firm hold. He looked down at his feet as his guardians started to walk again, leading him along.

After what had felt like forever, Ronald soon found himself standing in a rather open area while William and Grell exchanged words. He looked around, noticing that despite there being many people at desks when they first got onto this floor, now that they had passed by a wall of sorts, there were only two other people in this room – a brunet and a blonde with cornrows in one side of his hair.

Ronald tugged at Grell's red coat and pointed to the two males.

Grell smiled. "That is Eric and Alan, Ronnie. They work with Will and I. All of the other people behind the divider work for a different division, but there are only us in our division."

Ronald didn't quite understand what Grell was saying, but he nodded anyway. He remained silent as Grell and William exchanged a few more words, and he whimpered and Grell released his hand just moments later.

"Ronald, you're going to stay with me for today, okay?" William said. "I'd let you stay with Grell, but he won't work otherwise and he's already behind in his reports."

Ronald whimpered again but nodded anyway. He watched as Grell hurried over to the other males sadly before he followed William towards the back of the room. He flinched and pulled away when the raven reached down in an attempt to grab his hand. He didn't mind holding Grell's hand, but he wasn't ready for anyone else just yet.

William sighed but didn't say a word. Instead, he led the boy into his office and directed him to the leather couch that was off to the side.

Ronald was silent, but he felt oddly at peace here. He knew that even though William seemed to be cold and distant to everyone but Grell on the outside, on the inside he _did _care. Allowing a small smile to creep onto his face, Ronald closed his eyes, preparing for a sleep.

However, the smooth way that things had been going for Ronald so far was about to crash and burn. Would it ruin all of the progress that he had made so far? Or would he be salvaged once again in time?


	6. Chapter 6

Ronald hadn't slept for very long. He was currently sitting at the edge of William's desk, drawing on the paper that the raven had given him. William wasn't very talkative – in fact, he had barely said a word, instead slaving over the paperwork that was spread out before him.

Ronald smiled as he scribbled in red pen, trying to colour in the sun that he had drawn in the corner of the page. He was very content right now – he had never been able to draw before. He didn't know why, but his previous 'carers' had never let him have pencils or even paper.

Just when Ronald felt completely at peace, a loud sigh from William startled him. He looked up at the elder with a frown, afraid when Spears stood up suddenly.

"Come, Ronald," William said in a quiet tone. "We're going for a walk."

Ronald's frown grew larger but he did as told. He followed William out of the office and towards the small cluster of desks tucked away in a corner where Grell and his two friends were. Ronald followed a safe distance behind William, afraid when they stopped right behind the red-head without a word.

The brunet sniggered and the blond started laughing hysterically while Grell was oblivious to the presence behind him.

"Oi, turn around, will you?" The blond smirked. "You're in trouble again, Sutcliff."

"Shut up, Eric," Grell said, still facing away from William. "I never get into trouble off Will."

"Well, the look on his face right now says to me that he's going to skin you alive!" The blond – Eric, Ronald thought – laughed loudly again.

The brunet slapped Eric across the head. "Stop it."

William silently reached out and spun Grell's chair around so that they were facing. Ronald noticed that in the red-head's hands was a small bottle and a brush.

"Will you care to explain why you are painting your nails instead of working, Sutcliff?" William asked in a cold manner.

"But, Will…!" Grell whined. "It's so boring! A girl's got to look her best, so why not?"

"I've told you ample times about slacking off on the job, Sutcliff." William reached out and snatched the bottle from his lover's hands. "I _will _give you unpaid overtime. I want your work finished and on my desk before we leave the office or else you'll be staying here while I go home and sleep."

"Will, you're so cruel…" Grell pouted.

"Mr. Humphries, please keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't continue slacking off." William sighed and fixed his glasses. "And you, Slingby, get off Mr. Humphries's desk and get on with your _own _paperwork; Alan is far more capable than anyone else here – he doesn't need help."

With a whine, Eric slid off Alan's desk and returned to his own. Grell stuck his tongue out at the two. William ignored this and returned to his office.

Ronald followed behind warily. He didn't like the exchange of words between the four – it made him nervous. He hesitated before he closed the office door behind him and sat back down on the couch. He curled up and closed his eyes once again.

Things were silent except for the scratching of William's pen for the next few minutes – but that was before the office door was thrown open and a dark-haired man with an angry expression on his face stormed in. He slammed the door closed behind him and made sure to lock it.

Ronald flinched and whimpered, curling in on himself in an attempt to hide himself. William, however, stood up once again behind his desk with a frown on his face.

"Spears, Spears, Spears…" The man said slowly, a smirk crossing onto his face. "I would've thought that you'd have quit by now…"

"Of course I haven't, Crowley." William replied. "I don't take kindly to threats. You're breaking a restraining order. Get out of my office before I call security up here."

Ronald watched with wide eyes, not understanding what was going on.

"Why would I leave?" The man laughed. "I could've had this office – your _position. _I refuse to lose my job to a _faggot."_

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but I was more qualified for the position than you'd have ever been. Leave."

"Shut your fucking face, you cock-sucker!"

William slammed his hands down on his desk. "There is a child present! Watch your mouth!"

Tears ran down Ronald's cheeks at this. He let out a loud cry and started screaming, covering his ears.

"Ronald…" William tried to approach the boy but he stopped at the sound of a gun being cocked. He turned and looked back at the male named Crowley, only to find that a handgun was pointed at him.

"Don't move." Crowley snarled. "Take one step towards the brat and I'll shoot."

"Leave him out of this." William said in an even tone. "He's not involved in any of this. It's between you and me."

A large sneer crossed Crowley's face. He kept the gun pointed at William as he approached Ronald. Once he had gotten to the couch, he grabbed the blond-black hair and ripped the child from his seat.

Ronald screamed and thrashed, terrified out of his mind. He wasn't aware of the loud pounding on the office door or Grell's calls to William, but he did hear said raven telling the red-head to stay out.

"Don't you want to let them in?" Crowley sneered. "Let them see how bad a person you really are. Let them watch as you trade a boy's life for your own."

"I would _never…" _William growled. "Do what you want to me, but leave the others out of this."

With a laugh, Crowley tossed Ronald at the Spears. William caught the boy and held him tightly, shocked to feel said child clinging to him desperately.

"It's okay, Ronald…" William whispered, running a hand through the blond-black hair. "It's okay, I'm going to protect you. I won't let you get hurt."

"Oh, how sweet…" Crowley said in a mocking tone. "Telling him that when you're going to toss him away like trash in the end. You know what? I'll just put an end to both of your miserable existences. Once I've done that, I'll go and kill your fucked up sex toy. Faggots shouldn't be allowed to live in this world. They're disgusting and unnatural. Say goodbye."

Ronald's eyes widened when the gun came closer to them. He let out a horrified scream, but before he knew it, he had been thrown onto the ground, William on top of him. There were several loud deafening bangs and then something wet dripped down onto him.

Ronald looked up, horrified to see William's eyes glazed over in pain as blood dribbled out of his mouth. The Spears gave him a weak smile before he collapsed completely. Ronald screamed louder than he had ever screamed before. He was vaguely aware of the office door being knocked off its hinges and shouts sounded. There were a few more bangs, but Ronald didn't want to watch – he closed his eyes and cried loudly, trying to escape from reality.

**-XX-**

Grell hadn't been this distraught in a long time. After finding that his lover had been shot multiple times and his friend injured in the scuffle, he had no memory of what had happened next. All he knew was that he was now sitting in the waiting room of the hospital with Eric, bawling his eyes out. An ambulance had been called which rushed William, Ronald and Alan away. While Alan had only minor injuries from the bullets, Ronald was being treated for shock.

Eric reached over and patted Grell's back. He hated seeing the red-head cry. "I'm sure he'll be fine…"

"N-no, you don't understand…" Grell whimpered. "I-I… I can't lose Will… You don't understand…!"

"Calm down." Eric stood up and started pacing. "Look, I'm just as upset as you are, okay?"

"No, you're not!" Grell snapped. "You've got _no idea! _Alan got hurt – but worst comes to worst and he'll get infections! Will might _die, _Eric! And Ronnie…! Ronnie might never trust us ever again now!"

"Settle, Sutcliff." Eric sat back down. "Okay, I know that our situations are different, alright? But if you're just going to sit here and cry, what use are you going to be to them? Calm down."

"What if I lose them…?" Grell whimpered as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. "I don't want to be alone, Eric… I-I'm so scared of being alone…"

"You won't be alone," Eric reassured. "Trust me, I know this. William is strong, okay? I'm sure he'll be just fine."

Before anything else could be said, a doctor approached them.

"Grell Sutcliff?" The doctor asked as he arrived by said male's side. He frowned when Grell nodded. "I'm Doctor Jones. I'm afraid that I have some good news and some bad news."

Grell's eyes closed and a small whimper escaped his lips.

"The good news is that physically, Ronald is fine and his levels of shock have decreased. However, the bad news is that we've had to sedate him. He wouldn't let anyone near him and kept screaming and yelling."

A tear dripped down Grell's cheek. He nodded. "…Okay…"

"I'll bring him out to you."

Grell nodded again. It didn't take very long until he was holding a sleeping Ronald in his arms. He buried his face in the gold-black hair, trying not to cry.

"I think it'll be best for you to take him home now," the doctor said. "He's very distressed. A mental health check-up is advised, as well."

"I'm not leaving…" Grell whispered. "I'm not leaving Will…"

"Sutcliff, don't be stupid," Eric growled. "William is a grown man and Ronald isn't. You need to realise that right now, there's nothing that _you _can do for William, but Ronald needs you."

Grell tightened his hold on Ronald and nodded. He knew, deep down, that Eric was right. Without another word, he lifted the boy into his arms and started walking out of the hospital.

**-XX-**

As Grell lay restless in his bed that night, petting Snowball, he was too distraught to even look up when small footsteps entered his bedroom. He stayed where he was when a small weight climbed up onto the bed, and once Ronald snuggled in against his chest and started crying, he ran a soothing hand through the blond-black hair.

Grell wanted to comfort Ronald badly, but he was badly distressed about William. He continued playing with the child's hair until Ronald had cried himself to sleep, and he then wrapped an arm around the boy, just glad to have someone there with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry about the unexpected drop of this story; it was one of the fics I couldn't bring myself to continue due to my worsening depression, but now that it's back under control, I'm slowly finding the motivation to continue the ones I seemingly abandoned. **

"Are you okay, Ronnie?" Grell whispered the next morning when Ronald awoke.

Ronald shook his head and whimpered. He nestled in closer to Grell, his eyes wide as he looked up at the older male's face. "...W-william..."

Grell wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him closer. "Yes? What's wrong, sweetie?"

Ronald licked his lips, unable to comprehend why William had put himself between him and the man. Did that mean that the dark-haired male really wasn't a bad person after all? "...He... _protected _me..."

Sutcliff smiled sadly. "Yes. That is the kind of person my William is, after all. We care about you, Ronnie; that's why we took you in. We'd both do that for you."

Ronald sighed softly, closing his eyes. After what William had done... it was much easier to believe Grell's words than it had ever been for _anyone _else. After all, no one had ever been kind to him, let alone do _that _for him... "...Can I... stay with you... Grell...?"

"I was going to spend my day at the hospital with Will," Grell explained in a gentle manner, "and I'm sure it will be uninteresting for you, dear. I could take you to meet my friends, Alan and Eric, and you can play with them for the day."

Ronald bit his lip as tears welled up in his eyes; he didn't want to leave Grell's side, especially not to go to other people he didn't know. He shook his head, his blond locks flying into his eyes. "N-no...! I-I... I will be good at the hospital...! I promise...! Please, take me with you..."

Grell understood. He really did. He knew, after having come so far so soon with Ronald, he couldn't compromise that progress. "Okay, Ronnie. Would you like to bring anything with you so you don't get bored? We'll be there for a long time, and there's really nothing to do at hospitals."

"...Can..." Ronald frowned, worried that he would get into trouble for asking, but really wanting to be able to draw, "...Can I bring some paper and pencils...?"

Grell leant down and pulled the child into a hug. "Of course you can, Ronnie, dear. You don't have to ask. Go and grab some while I get ready, okay?"

Ronald nodded, leaving Grell alone. The redhead sighed as he moved to his wardrobe, pulling out a white dress shirt and brown slacks, his brown vest and his favourite red woman's coat. He dressed himself quickly before he left to find Ronald and prepare him for the day ahead of them.

Sutcliff could only hope that William would be okay; he didn't know what he'd do without the dark-haired man there by his side.

_**~~At the hospital~~**_

William smiled softly at Ronald as the boy walked into his hospital room, clinging to Grell with a look of fright on his face. He was propped up in the hospital bed, an IV drip connected to him, as he closed the book that was sitting in his lap.

"Hello, Ronald," William said. "How are you?"

Spears was unprepared for the way Ronald detached himself from Grell's waist, charging over to his and wrapping tiny arms around his own stomach. He winced, the action unsettling his wound, but he didn't move the boy.

Grell moved to stand behind Ronald, running his hand through the messy locks of hair. He smiled sadly, noticing the way Knox cried into William's stomach.

"Looks like you've made a new friend, Will, dear," Grell whispered, fixing his glasses.

William nodded, moving an arm to wrap carefully around small shoulders. He wasn't usually one for affection, but how could he not want to show this damaged boy that he really _did _care? "Ronald, as long as you're okay, I will be fine. I promise. I give you my sincerest apologies for what happened; I only want you to be happy."

Ronald lifted his head to meet William's gaze. His tear-stained face donned a bright smile, his eyes half-lidded as tears continuously flowed from underneath them. He shook his head. "I... I am happier now than I have ever been..."

William allowed another small smile to grace his face at these words. Maybe... that attacker hadn't been such a bad thing after all.

**Due to a lot of reasons, I'm trying to finish off my older fics as soon as I can so that you guys won't be disappointed and I won't be overwhelmed myself, so this will be the second last chapter with an epilogue to follow. Again, I am sincerely sorry for making you all wait so long just to hear this news. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. **


	8. Chapter 8

Several years had passed by since Ronald had been adopted by Grell and William. It was his fifteenth birthday that day, and he was rather excited, having been promised that he would get a wonderful present.

Currently, the boy was sitting at the dining table, waiting for William to finish cooking their breakfast. Grell was in town with Alan and Eric, helping them decide on their presents for Knox.

"Are you excited, Ronald?" William asked as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of his adopted son.

Ronald smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, William. Will I get a cake again?"

William allowed one of his rare smiles to grace his face as he nodded. "Of course. That's what happens on birthdays, after all."

Ronald giggled as he fiddled with the fork in his hand. He then looked down at his plate, licking his lips as he smelt the delicious aroma of pancakes wafting from in front of him. He made the first slice through his food and lifted it to meet his lips, eating it happily.

Things had changed ever since William had gotten out of the hospital all those years ago. Ronald was more open and affectionate, and he trusted them, knowing that no one who would throw themselves in front a bullet for him was a bad person at heart.

William sat across the table from Ronald, sipping at his coffee as he read the newspaper. Things were quiet, but both of them liked it that way; the boy liked being around William because it was usually in comfortable silence, and he liked Grell because the flamboyant man was so outgoing but knew the boundaries.

Spears put his paper down when he felt a small tug at his sleeve. He looked at the black-blond haired child and smiled. "What is it, Ronald?"

Ronald smiled shyly, pulling himself off the table and sitting back in his chair. "...When will I get my present?"

"When Grell gets back. He is picking it up for you today."

Ronald nodded, excited to find out what he got. The last birthdays he had spent with Grell and William, he had gotten lots of things he liked, like his own TV and some movies and even games. He wondered what he would get this year.

Alas, the two didn't wait for long before Grell arrived back home, accompanied by Eric and Alan who had their own presents in their arms. The redhead made a quick stop in the living room before he rushed into the dining room and wrapped his arms around his child, hugging him tightly.

"Ronnie~!" the male squealed excitedly. "I have the best present for you! You'll love it!"

Alan and Eric stepped forward, offering their gifts with wishes of a happy birthday. Ronald eagerly tore open the wrapping paper, finding a book from Alan and a set of DVDs from Eric.

"Thank you." Ronald smiled up at his elders, feeling comfortable around the two; Alan was sweet and Eric always made him laugh. "I love them."

"My present~!" Grell picked Ronald up and carried him into the living room before he placed him in front of a cardboard box. He grinned and gestured for him to open it.

Ronald tilted his head and did as he was told, and he was honestly surprised when a black and white furry creature jumped out at him. He fell over, looking down at what was now sitting on his lap, shocked to find a tiny kitten meowing up at him. It looked just like Kitty, but it was much, much smaller.

Ronald giggled and brought the baby animal into his arms, hugging it carefully as he smiled up at Grell. "Thank you, Grell. This is the best present ever."

Grell hugged the boy as William and their friends joined them in the living room, smiling at the scene; it was heart-warming to see the boy who had been afraid of everyone so happy at being given his own pet.

"You'll look after her, won't you?" William asked, kneeling next to the boy as he stroked the kitten's silky fur. "She's a lovely kitten."

Ronald smiled wider. "I-I'll take care of her, William. Can I name her Chocolate?"

Grell and Eric laughed merrily while Alan smiled and William nodded.

"Of course you can," William said gently. "She's yours."

Ronald stood up and placed the kitten on the ground before he charged at his elders and hugged all four of them tightly, burying his face into their stomachs as he smiled brighter than ever.

"Thank you all so much!" the child snuggled in closest to Grell, having always felt happiest around him.

The four adults smiled, sitting down with Ronald so that they could spend the day with him. All four of them could see the progress the boy was making, from being so scared of people who wouldn't even look at them so much as touch them, to the boy who was always smiling and loved being hugged.

They could all see that, even though there was room for improvement, Ronald would soon be happier than ever, his scars all but forgotten.


End file.
